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Monday, March 24, 2014

Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) –
Gratitude for the great work of evangelisation that is taking place
in Guinea, despite a lack of material resources, and invitations to
unity, reconciliation and dialogue with members of other religions
were the key points of the Pope's address to the bishops of the
Episcopal Conference of Guinea, whom he received in audience this
morning, at the end of their “ad limina” visit.

“Christ's disciples form a living
body that manifests the joy of the Gospel by the enthusiasm of faith,
although the conditions under which the Good News is proclaimed are
often difficult”, the Pope writes. “From a purely human point of
view the means of evangelisation may seem ridiculous. Far from being
discouraged, you must remember that this is the work of Jesus
Himself, beyond all that we are able to discover and understand.
However, for the Gospel to profoundly touch and convert hearts, we
must remember that only if we are united in love can we give witness
to the truth of the Gospel. … Discord between Christians is the
greatest obstacle to evangelisation. It favours the development of
groups that exploit poverty and credulity to propose easy but
illusory problems to the problems faced by the people. In a world
afflicted by many ethnic, political and religious conflicts,
communities must be 'authentically fraternal and reconciled' for
their witness to be 'luminous and attractive'. God will give us the
grace, if we know how to receive it, to render unity greater than
conflict”.

Pope Francis goes on to remark that,
for the proclamation of the Gospel to be fruitful, all existence must
be coherent with what is proclaimed. He thanks the bishops for having
instituted centres for the formation of laypersons and catechists for
this purpose, and he urged them to support families in which
Christian marriage must be lived without ambiguity, given that
polygamy is very widespread within the country. He also suggests that
they encourage the young to “bear witness to their faith, by
committing themselves within society, thereby demonstrating their
attachment to their country. In collaboration with the different
actors in social life, they must always be artisans of peace and
reconciliation in the fight against the extreme poverty that Guinea
faces. In this respect, despite difficulties, I encourage you to
deepen your relationships with your Muslim compatriots, mutually
learning to accept different ways of being, thinking and expressing
oneself”.

The Pope turns his attention also to
the religious who in Guinea “express the love of Christ in works of
aid for the population, both in healthcare and in education and
instruction … accomplishing a true act of evangelisation, and
giving authentic testimony of God's tenderness towards all mankind,
especially the poorest and weakest; a witness that touches hearts and
firmly entrenches faith”. Despite a lack of resources, Francis
urges the prelates always to support them, “both spiritually and
materially so that they may courageously persevere in their work of
evangelisation and social promotion”.

The final paragraphs of the Pope's
address are dedicated to priests, who are however still few in number
in Guinea. The Holy Father congratulates them for the recent opening
of the “Benedict XVI” major seminary which offers hope for the
future and emphasises that the example of priests who live their
vocation with joy is essential for ensuring that the new priests
“learn to live truly the requirements of ecclesiastical celibacy,
and the proper relationship with material goods, rejecting
worldliness and careerism – for the priesthood is not a means of
social mobility – as well as a real engagement with the poorest”.

Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) –
This morning in the Vatican Pope Francis received the participants in
the plenary session of the Pontifical Council for Health Care
Workers, whose president is Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski. “It is
true that in suffering no-one is ever alone”, he said, “as God in
his merciful love for mankind and for the world also embraces the
most inhuman situations, in which the image of the Creator present in
every person appears to be obscured or disfigured. Thus was Jesus, in
his Passion. … And here, in the Passion of Jesus, there is the
greatest school for whoever wishes to dedicate him to the service of
his sick and suffering brethren”.

Pope Francis recalled, on the Feast of
the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, which will be
celebrated tomorrow, how Mary welcomes life on behalf of us all.
“Mary offers her very existence, she made herself entirely
available for God's will, becoming the locus of his presence, the
place in which the Son of God resides”.

He continued, “The experience of
fraternal sharing with those who suffer opens us to the true beauty
of human life, which includes its fragility. In the protection and
promotion of life, in whatever state and condition it may be found,
we can recognise the dignity and the value of each single human
being, from conception to natural death”. The Pope concluded by
encouraging those present always to keep in mind “the flesh of
Christ in the poor, in those who suffer, in children, including those
who are unwanted, in people with physical or mental handicaps, and in
the elderly”.

Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) –
The Orthodox Bishop Agathanghelos, director general of the Apostoliki
Diakonia of the Greek Church, accompanied by a group of
collaborators, was received in audience by Pope Francis this morning.
The Apostoliki Diakonia is the body in charge of the promotion of
pastoral, cultural and editorial activities in Greece on behalf of
the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church.

As a result of the improved relations
with the Greek Orthodox Church, following John Paul II's visit to
Athens in 2001, it has been possible to carry out various
collaborative projects of a cultural nature involving the Holy See
and the Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece.

During their stay in Rome, from 21 to
26 March, the Greek delegation will visit the Basilicas of St. Peter
and St. Paul Outside-the-Walls to venerate the tombs of the apostles
Peter and Paul. They will also meet with Cardinal Walter Kasper,
president of the Pontifical Council for promoting Christian Unity,
Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues, archivist and librarian of the Holy
Roman Church, and the directors of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Visits are also scheduled to the Catacombs of St. Callisto, the Abbey
of the Three Fountains, and the Sant'Egidio Community.

Vatican City, 23 March 2014 (VIS) –
On the third Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father appeared at the window
of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with
the faithful and pilgrims present. Before the Marian prayer, the
Pontiff commented on the Gospel passage in which the Samaritan woman
goes to collect water from the well and encounters in Jesus the water
of mercy; she finds what she had sought, and returned to the judged
and rejected to announce to them that she had encountered the one who
had changed her life. “We too have many questions to pose, but we
do not find the courage to put them to Jesus! Lent is the ideal time
to look within ourselves, to let our truest spiritual needs emerge,
and to ask the help of the Lord in prayer. The example of the
Samaritan woman invites us to express ourselves thus: 'Jesus, give me
the water so I may thirst no more'”.

“The result of this encounter at the
well was that the woman was transformed. … For every encounter with
Jesus changes our lives, always. It is a step ahead, a step closer to
God. And so every encounter with Jesus changes our lives, always. …
In this Gospel reading we also find the impetus to 'leave our
amphora', our water jar, the symbol of all that is seemingly
important, but which loses its value before 'God's love'. We all have
one, or more than one! … What is your inner amphora, what weighs
upon you, what distances you from God?” he asked the faithful. “Let
us set it aside a little and hear in our hearts Christ's voice,
offering us a different water, a water that brings us closer to the
Lord”.

The Pope continued, “We are called to
rediscover the importance and the meaning of our Christian life,
beginning with our Baptism and, like the Samaritan woman, to bear
witness to our brethren of the joy of the encounter with Jesus; bear
witness to the joy of this encounter. Each encounter with Jesus
changes our life, and each encounter with Jesus also fills us with
joy, that joy that comes from within. Let us tell how many marvellous
things the Lord is able to do within our hearts, once we find the
courage to let go of our amphora”.

Vatican City, 23 March 2014 (VIS) –
Following today's Angelus prayer, the Holy Father Francis mentioned
that Monday 24 is World Tuberculosis Day, and he asked for prayers
for all those who suffer from this disease. The Pope also encouraged
all those present to celebrate “24 hours for the Lord”, a prayer
initiative which will be held on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 March. It
will be a moment of penance that will begin with a celebration in St.
Peter's Basilica on Friday afternoon, and various churches in the
centre of Rome will stay open during the night for prayer and
confession. “It will be a festival of forgiveness”, he said,
“that will also take place in many dioceses and parishes throughout
the world”.

Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has sent a telegram of condolences for the death of
His Holiness Mar Ignatius Zakka Iwas, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of
Antioch and all the East on 21 March, at the age of 80. “The whole
Christian world has lost one of its outstanding spiritual leaders,
courageous and wise in leading people through very difficult times”,
he writes. “Following his election as patriarch in 1980, His
Holiness was an engaged witness of the successive violent conflicts
that have brought untold death and suffering to the Middle East,
especially Iraq and most recently Syria. His Holiness was a man of
dialogue and peace with regard to the followers of all religious
traditions”.

Pope Francis also mentions in the
telegram the Patriarch's role as an observer at the Vatican Council
II and gives thanks for his “extraordinary contribution to
strengthening communion between Syrian Orthodox Christians and the
Catholic faithful”.

Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) –
Today, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis received in
audience Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, president of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of
State Pietro Parolin, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary
for Relations with States.

In the course of the talks, emphasis
was laid on the cordial relations between the Holy See and Nigeria,
and appreciation was expressed for the positive contribution offered
by the Church to the welfare of the entire country, especially in the
areas of education and health care, as well as in promoting dialogue
between the various components of society. Particular attention was
given in the meeting to the protection of the dignity of the human
person and his or her fundamental rights, beginning with religious
freedom. In this context the joint condemnation of every form of
violence was renewed and hope was expressed for a rapid return to
peaceful coexistence in the whole Country.

Finally, an exchange of views took
place regarding several issues of regional interest, with particular
reference to the situations of crisis and conflict in central and
sub-Saharan Africa.

Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) –
This morning in the Sala Clementina of the Vatican Apostolic Palace
the Holy Father received in audience the members of the “Corallo”
Association, a network of local Catholic-inspired broadcasters from
all regions of Italy. The Pope gave an off-the-cuff address to those
present, in which he defined the virtues, mission and sins of the
communication media.

“Your work should be carried out
along these three routes: the path of truth, the path of goodness,
and the path of beauty. But truth, goodness and beauty are consistent
– they come from within, they are human. And, on the path of truth,
along these three routes, we can find mistakes and even traps. 'I
think, I look for the truth …': be careful not to become an
intellectual without intelligence. 'I go in search of goodness': be
careful not to be an ethicist without goodness. 'I like beauty': yes,
but be careful not to do what is frequently done: do not look for
cosmetics to create an artificial beauty that does not exist”.

The Pope went on to refer to the
“harmonious unity” of the work of broadcasters, commenting that,
although there are large and small media entities, “in the Church
there is neither large nor small: everyone has his or her function
and help for others, the hand cannot exist without the head, and so
on. We are all members, and also your media, whether they be large or
small, are members, harmonised in their vocation of service to the
Church. No-one should consider themselves to be too small in relation
to another that is too large. Everyone is important in this harmony,
for the Church is harmony in diversity. … It is important to seek
unity, and not to subscribe to the logic that the large fish swallows
the smaller fish”.

Pope Francis then went on to speak
about clericalism, which he defined as “one of the ills of the
Church. But it is a sin of complicity, as priests are subject to the
temptation to clericalise the laity, while many laypersons ask on
their knees to be clericalised, because it is convenient. … So this
is a sin committed by two hands. We must resist this temptation. The
layperson must be a layperson, baptised and with the strength that
comes from baptism. A servant, but with a lay vocation, and this
cannot be sold, bargained for, and one is not complicit with the
other, because it is a question of identity. … Is the deacon or the
priest more important than the layperson? No! … The function of the
layperson cannot be exercised by the priest, and the Holy Spirit is
free: sometimes it inspires a priest to do something, and at other
times it inspires a layperson. This is something that is discussed in
the pastoral Council, which is very important. A parish that does not
have a pastoral Council and a Council for economic affairs is not a
good parish: it lacks life”.

Finally, the Holy Father commented that
the media embody many virtues, but also many sins. With regard to the
latter, the three most significant are those which “take the road
of lies: … disinformation, slander and defamation. The last two are
serious, but not as dangerous as the first. Slander is a mortal sin,
but it is possible to clarify the situation and become aware that it
is slander. Defamation is a mortal sin, but it is possible to say:
this is an injustice, because this person did something at that time
but has now repented and changed their life. But disinformation means
telling half-truths, the part that is most convenient to me, and not
saying the other half. Therefore, those who watch the television or
listen to the radio are not able to arrive at a perfect judgement,
because they do not have all the elements necessary to do so, and the
media do not give them. Please, shun these three sins”.

Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has instituted the Pontifical Commission for the
Protection of Minors, as announced on 5 December 2013, and has
invited the following people to be members: Catherine Bonnet, France;
Marie Collins, Ireland; Sheila Hollins, United Kingdom; Cardinal Sean
Patrick O'Malley O.F.M. Cap., United States; Claudio Papale, Italy;
Hanna Suchocka, Poland; Humberto Miguel Yanez S.J., Argentina; and
Hans Zollner, S.J., Germany.

Their principal task will be to prepare
the Commission's statutes, which will define its competence and
functions. The Commission will subsequently be joined by other
members, nominated from various geographical areas of the world.

Marie Collins, who suffered sexual
abuse as a child and brought the priest responsible to justice in
1997, is the co-founder of the Marie Collins Foundation, an NGO
providing help and legal assistance to victims of abuse and their
families. Sheila Hollins is emeritus professor of Psychiatry and
former president of the British Medical Assocation. Cardinal Sean
Patrick O'Malley O.F.M. Cap. is archbishop of Boston, U.S.A., and is
well-known for his efforts for the protection of childhood and is a
member of the Apostolic Visitation of dioceses and seminaries in
Ireland in 2010. Claudio Papale is a lawyer and professor in the
faculty of canon law at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome.
Hanna Suchocka, former prime minister of Poland (1992-1993), is a
professor at the University of Poznan, specialising in constitutional
law, and the author of various texts on human rights. The Jesuit Fr.
Manuel Yanez is professor of moral theology at the Pontifical
Gregorian and Urbaniana Universities. Fr. Hans Zollner,S.J.,
psychotherapist and psychologist, is the academic vice-rector of the
Pontifical Gregorian University, director of the Institute of
Psychology, and chair of the Steering Committee of the Institute's
“Centre for Child Protection”.

The director of the Holy See Press
Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., commented that by the institution
of this Commission, Pope Francis has made it clear that the Church
considers the protection of minors as a priority issue. “In the
certainty that the Church must play a crucial role in this field, and
looking to the future without forgetting the past, the Commission
will adopt a multiple approach to promoting the protection of minors,
which will include education for the prevention of the exploitation
of children, legal procedures relating to offences against minors,
civil and canonical duties and responsibilities, and the development
of 'best practices' as defined and developed in society as a whole”.

Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) –
The Holy See Press Office today announced that, following the motu
proprio: Fidelis dispensator et prudens, which established the
Secretariat for the Economy presided over by Cardinal George Pell,
and following the institution of the Council for the Economy and the
appointment of Cardinal Reinhard Marx as Cardinal coordinator of this
organ, the Holy Father has nominated Msgr. Brian Ferme as Prelate
Secretary of the Council for the Economy.

The Prelate Secretary has the task of
assisting the Cardinal Coordinator in the fulfilment of the functions
of the Council for the Economy, whose competences are associated with
the guidance and supervision of the administrative and financial
activities of the economic entities of the Holy See.

Msgr. Brian Ferme was born in 1955, and
is a priest in the diocese of Portsmouth, England. He completed his
philosophical, theological and canonical studies in Melbourne, Oxford
and Rome. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and
articles. He has served as professor of canon law at the Gregorian
Pontifical University and subsequently at the Pontifical Lateran
University, where he became dean of the faculty of canon law in 2000.
In 2003, in Washington, he became dean of the faculty of canon law at
the Catholic University of America, after which he transferred to
Venice as head of the St. Pius X faculty of canon law. He
collaborates with various dicasteries of the Roman Curia; in
particular, he is a consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith and the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) – A
letter was published today, written in Latin and dated 26 February,
in which the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president
of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, as his special envoy to the
celebration commemorating the 650th anniversary of the consecration
of the Cathedral of Krakow, Poland, which will take place on 28
March.

The Cardinal will be accompanied by a
mission composed of Msgr. Jacek Urban, canon of the metropolitan
Chapter, and Msgr. Jan Machniak, canon of the Chapter of the
Collegiate Church of St. Florian.

Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) –
Yesterday Pope Francis visited the Roman Church of San Gregorio VII,
where he met with more than 700 families of the victims of the mafia,
representing approximately 15,000 persons who have lost loved ones as
a result of mafia violence. Since 1996 the first day of spring, 21
March, has been dedicated to the memory of the victims of mafia
groups and every year the “Libera” association organises a
demonstration in a different town. This year it took place in Latina,
where today the 19th Day of Memory and Commitment is to be held on
the theme “Roots of memory, fruit of commitment”.

The prayer vigil in the Church of San
Gregorio began with an address by the priest Don Luigi Ciotti,
founder of “Libera”, after which the names of the 900 victims of
the mafia were read aloud. Following the reading of the Gospel and
the Beatitudes, the Pope addressed the following words to those
present:

“I wish to share with you a hope, and
it is this: that the sense of responsibility might gradually prevail
over corruption, in every part of the world. … And this must begin
from within, from consciences, and from there it is necessary to
heal, to restore to health forms of behaviour, relations, choices,
the social fabric, so that justice gains space, spreads, takes root,
and supplants iniquity.

“I know that you feel this hope
strongly, and I want to share it with you, to tell you that I will be
close to you also tonight and tomorrow, in Latina – even if I
cannot be there in person, I will be with you on this journey, which
requires tenacity and perseverance.

“In particular, I wish to express my
solidarity with those who have lost a loved one, as a victim of mafia
violence. Thank you for your witness, because you are not closed, you
are open, you have come forward to tell your story of pain and hope.
This is so important, especially for the young. I would like to pray
with you, and I do so from the heart, for all victims of the mafia.
Even just a few days ago, near Taranto, a crime was committed in
which even a child was not spared. But at the same time let us pray
together, to ask for the strength to go on, not to be discouraged,
but instead to continue to fight against corruption.

Pope Francis continued, speaking off
the cuff, “I feel that I cannot finish without saying a word to
those who are absent today, to the absent protagonists: to the men
and women of the mafia. Please, change your lives, convert, stop what
you are doing, stop doing harm. And we pray for you. Convert, I ask
you this on my knees; it is for your own good. This life you are
living now will not bring you pleasure, it will not bring you joy, it
will not bring you happiness. Power, the money you have now from your
many dirty dealings, from your many mafia crimes, is blood money, it
is power that is stained with blood, and you will not be able to take
it with you to the next life. Repent, there is still time, so as not
to end up in hell. This is what awaits you if you continue on this
path. You have a father and a mother: think of them. Cry a little,
and repent”.

- accepted the resignation from the
pastoral care of the archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam,
presented by Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, upon reaching the
age limit. He is succeeded by Bishop Paul Bui Van Doc, coadjutor of
the same archdiocese.

Bishop-elect Perez Talamantes was born
in Nuevo Leon, Mexico in 1970, and was ordained a priest in 1997. He
holds a licentiate in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian
University, Rome, and has served in the following pastoral roles:
vicar, spiritual director, coordinator of discipline and prefect of
studies in the major seminary of Monterrey, and priest of the
parishes of “Sagrada Familia” and “San Francisco de Asis” in
Apocada. He is currently episcopal vicar for the Zone X and director
of the Benedict XVI Institute for the formation of laypersons in
ordinary pastoral care.

Bishop-elect Miranda Guardiola was born
in Monterrey, Mexico in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1998. He
holds a licentiate in moral theology from the Pontifical University
of Mexico. He has held the following pastoral roles: prefect of
discipline and studies in the minor seminary, lecturer in the major
seminary, deputy priest in the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, assessor
for groups of divorced persons and rector of the temple of “St.
Maximilian Maria Kolbe”. He is currently secretary chancellor of
the Curia and director of the ecclesiastical archive and department
of history of the archdiocese of Monterrey. He is the author of nine
books.